


Maybe we could go get lost tonight (and stop pretending we’re just friends)

by ElixirBB



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Because honestly, F/M, Humour, LOL like these suckers can be just friends, Lots of Cursing, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Multi, Reylo - Freeform, Some angst, based on the song Just Friends, but like this is obviously my attempt at a fix it fic, fuck that shit, mixed communications, not really any spoilers, or like my attempt at it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:46:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22042762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElixirBB/pseuds/ElixirBB
Summary: “I said.” Rey tells him in a raspy voice, unused from sleep and most likely the screams she let out last night (and well, the sudden recollection of just how his biceps and literally everything else ripples with pure fucking muscle as he pounds into her and her shouts of more, more, more and other obscenities that sprouted from her lips last night - early this morning? Fucking semantics - which she usually loves, by the way), “of course you would have Enya as your alarm clock.”
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Slight Bazine/Ben Solo
Comments: 21
Kudos: 128





	Maybe we could go get lost tonight (and stop pretending we’re just friends)

**Author's Note:**

> WOW. IT’S BEEN A WHILE. HI GUYS!!! I love you all and I hope you like what I have to give you. I’ve got lots of fics planned for these two because honestly fuck TROS. 2019 just has not been my year for ships, huh. I feel like a lot can relate. 
> 
> Any mistakes are mine and mine alone and again, hope you guys enjoy and I’ll see you again soon!

It’s the sun that wakes her up. It’s not that she should be surprised, considering the sun does rise ninety-nine percent of the time. Minus when the clouds decide that the sky should, for all intents and purposes, be theirs, if just for a little bit.

But it doesn’t quite matter now, does it? Because it’s the sun that wakes her up and honestly, with the headache that is raging behind her eyes, it’s fucking _rude_. 

But perhaps not as rude as the soothing sounds of a vaguely familiar song waking her up. She’s groggy and outstretches her right arm from under the duvet cover and struggles to find the bedside table she knows is next to the side of the bed she always manages to wake up on. Except, all she reaches is air and she growls and then winces at the sound but not as violently as she winces when she pokes her head out of cocoon of blankets to look for the phone to _shut it the fuck up_ and the sun blinds her in all it’s glories from the large glass windows. 

And _honestly_ ? There is _so much_ that she should have realized by now. 

For one, she doesn’t have a king size bed, nor does she have what feels like a thousand Egyptian thread count or _whatever the fuck_ it’s called (and really, she only knows what it feels like because when she and Rose tagged along with Phasma that one day while she was going shopping, Rey collapsed on one of those already made for display beds and giggled loudly as she sunk in and yelled to Phasma - who was on the other end of the fucking floor - that she needed to get these ones. Rose laughed. Phasma rolled her eyes and told her to stop acting childish. Which of course only made Rose and Rey laugh harder.)

Instead, she has IKEA bed sheets that do the job and are a light blue rather than black. 

She also doesn’t have floor to ceiling windows on what seems to be the top floor of some kind of penthouse and Rey frowns because this entire set up looks oddly familiar, she just can’t seem to place where at this point. 

Mainly because of the sun that is still blinding her and the headache that still seems to be mocking her. 

And the fucking phone, with the stupid fucking song as it’s alarm clock. And she’s starting to get agitated in her already agitated state because _one_ \- she can’t find her phone and _two_ \- she finally realizes what the song is. 

It’s the song that’s the final piece of the puzzle, albeit, _a really shitty puzzle,_ she thinks. Because she’s heard the song before, has heard the entire album and subsequent albums multiple times before, mainly whenever a rejection takes place and he _says_ he’s okay even though he’s _not_ and the only reason she (and the rest of their ragtag group of friends - and she snickers thinking of the stricken look on Hux’s face whenever she calls him a friend) knows he’s _not okay_ is because he has this song and the artist on fucking repeat while he retreats into his dark hole and pound into his laptop as he writes what will likely be another best-seller. 

_Mother fucker_ , Rey thinks fondly. But also. _Mother. Fucker._

She knows the moment he wakes up because even in the king size bed (and wow, she really does have to splurge because holy shit. _This. Bed_ ) she can feel him shift, curse softly and then turn off the hymn like song. 

The room descends into silence, interspersed with the sounds of birds outside the windows and if Rey weren’t absolutely too comfortable, she would have bolted by now. Except, she’s pretty sure that even if she does get up, she’s just going to fall back down because, fuck, what did she drink last night?

Ah. Yes. _Tequila._

She groans and shoves her head under the covers, flopping onto her stomach and _wow, that was honestly a really bad idea_ because her stomach is churning and she doesn’t _think_ she’s going to throw up but she’s definitely just going to be eating toast for breakfast. 

“Sorry.” He grumbles sleepily, turning over onto his side and shuffling closer to her. She can feel him frown (because she’s just _that much_ attuned to him, like she’s always been and he’s just such an oblivious dick to not notice all of the signs and hints she’s been throwing him since - well, since she first met him, if she’s honest), “Rey.” He says, long and nimble fingers (and _oh god,_ she has a vague recollection of those fingers and all the magnificent things she always knew they _could_ do, _actually do_ ) reach the edge of the covers over her head and bring the covers down gently. “What did you say?”

Right. She did say something, didn’t she? She grins sheepishly at him between squinted eyes because he’s not blurry but the sun is still enveloping the room and it encases him in some sort of fucking halo and honestly, it’s not fair. It’s just...not. Because his eyes are gleaming, even in their sleepy state, and his biceps are rippling when he brings his hands to eyes and rubs the sleep out of them and then shuffles as he shifts into a sitting position against the headboard. He’s giving her a soft smile that she always recognizes as _hers_ . It’s not that he doesn’t smile at other people, he does, it’s just, _that_ smile. That particular smile that stretched across his lips but is still so fucking soft that she thinks she could weep at how it makes his eyes shine with what she believes in admiration and like in that moment, _maybe it’s love_?

She follows his lead and shuffles into a seated position against the headboard, bringing the covers with her so her body is covered and it’s not out of modesty, okay? Rey doesn’t really believe in modesty and thinks that it’s all some sort of social construct to shame her into thinking and acting in a certain way, but _it’s the sheets_. It’s the fucking sheets and later today, she’s definitely grabbing Phasma and they’re going to go shopping and she’s going to splurge on good fucking sheets. 

“I said.” Rey tells him in a raspy voice, unused from sleep and most likely the screams she let out last night (and well, the sudden recollection of just how his biceps and literally _everything else_ ripples with pure fucking muscle as he pounds into her and her shouts of _more, more, more_ and other obscenities that sprouted from her lips last night - early this morning? _Fucking semantics_ \- which she usually loves, by the way), “of course you would have _Enya_ as your alarm clock.”

It’s a slow chuckle but a chuckle nonetheless that evolves into a full blown laugh and Rey is joining in because fuck, _finally._

* * *

It’s the call from Finn, who got the phone call from Poe, who got it from Rose who got the information from Hux who got it from Phasma who was there to witness Bazine Netal break up with Ben. 

“ _You might want to check on your Ben_ .” Finn tells her in lieu of a hello. “ _Also, hello Peanut._ ”

It’s an instinctive response. “He’s not my boy. And we haven’t spoken in the last two weeks.” And they were _horrible_ . Just two fucking _horrible_ weeks because she loves Finn. Finn is her _best friend_ but Ben is...Ben is _Ben_ . But also Kylo Ren but that’s his pseudonym for writing but she loves _Ben_ . And fuck. Yeah. _She loves Ben_ . Which is also probably why these last two weeks have been so _fucking miserable._ “But what’s wrong? Is he okay? Did something happen?”

There is a beat of silence on the other end and then a dry chuckle. “ _Yeah, no. He’s definitely not your boy. Not at all_ .” He lets out a sigh and she’s thankful that he doesn’t seem to be launching into a lecture on how she needs to act on her feelings because even if the guy’s a douche, she just needs to fuck him out of her system and _honestly, peanut, off our fucking nerves_ . “ _The Witch of the Malibu broke up with him. Phasma was there. It was very public and apparently very humiliating. According to Poe, Phasma is planning on keying her car…?”_

Rey purses her lips, a flare of something so dark and vicious settling into her stomach. “That. _Bitch_.” Rey was never fond of Bazine. And she told Ben _repeatedly_. To the point where he yelled at her and said horrible things about her and her past and all of her insecurities because when you’re as close to each other as Ben and Rey are, you pick things up and then when you’re angry, they just explode out, leaving the recipient with her mouth open, tears burning her eyes and a ball of lead in her stomach and her heart absolutely _shattering_ into a tiny little pieces. 

It also leads to a two week absence of one another from each other’s lives and her being miserable. 

(And according to Rose, who has heard it from Hux, because Rose is _loyal to a fault_ and she refused to be around Ben for the past two weeks in solidarity with Rey, and Phasma, who has refused to take sides - not like Rey asked her to - has been around him because she subsequently works with Ben and has known him for a long time, he’s _just as miserable_.

And Rey wants to feel vindicated but she _can’t_ feel vindicated because whenever he’s sad, she’s sad. Whenever he’s happy, she’s happy. Whenever he rages and screams, she makes sure to take him out on a run up to the top of their favourite mountain and rages and screams with him. 

It’s like a bond. One that she loves and relishes and cherishes, maybe a little too much, but she can’t help it. It’s just him. He’s just so... _Ben_.)

“ _Yeah_ .” Finn says and Rey can just see him roll his eyes. Finn has zero time for the drama-fest, as he calls it, that could be one hundred percent avoidable if Ben and Rey came clean about their feelings. But Rey doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, even though she’s one hundred percent positive she already did. “ _Just, check in on him, okay? Poe said that Rose said that he’s apparently really down. Hux and Phasma were apparently at his place earlier and he’s already started with the music and the room to his study is closed._ ”

Rey closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’ll swing by after work.”

* * *

**_FN-2187_** _: again, why does this stupid app not allow me to have a fun name?_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: rlly? That’s what your pissed abt?_

**_GingerAle_** _: Rose picked my name._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: bcuz you can’t work the app! I was helping you. Also, cuz it’s cute AF._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: oh god, get a room._

**_GingerAle_** _: We have one. That we use regularly, your concern is appreciated._

**_FN-2187_** _: GROSS._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: Ew._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Can we please get back to the topic at hand? Finn, you told her about what She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named did, yes?_

**_FN-2187_** _: Yeah, she’s going to swing by after work. Are we sure that he’ll want to talk to her? He was a big asshole to her._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: Agreed. Like I’m glad he and the She-Beast are broken up but like, he was a dick to Rey and that’s not cool. Like we get it. You’re in love with each other and neither of them know how to like...communicate but I just feel like it could be bad news?_

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Listen to me. I am not going to listen to him bitch about not being able to talk to Rey anymore, okay? I’m all out of patience for this stupid drama. They’re grown adults and they need to start acting like it._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _:.....they’re adults. We’re adults and what’s our excuse for playing Matchmaker?_

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Our sanity. Which I’m about to lose if I hear one more fucking Enya song._

**_GingerAle_** _: We are talking about Ben and Bazine and subsequently Rey, correct?_

**_FN-2187_** _: JFC. Really?_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: Rlly, babe? Rlly?_

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: Wow. I thought I was oblivious._

**_FN-2187_** _: You are._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: I am not!_

**_FN-2187_** _: It took you two months to realize I was hitting on you._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: to be fair, we also set you guys up. So like…? 2 for 2?_

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: You did not!_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: so like, sharing the same room at the cabin we went to by the lake that summer? Not by accident. That was set up. By us. Mainly me and Rey. Cuz we were rlly tired of the ‘does he, doesn’t he’ shit. Also, cuz we rlly wanted our boy Finn to get some._

**_FN-2187_** _: Truth._

**_GingerAle_** _: I vaguely remember this. So truth._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: YOU WERE THERE._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: As much as this thrills me (re: it does not thrill me). Are we in agreement to leave them alone tonight and not contact them until tomorrow? Probably mid afternoon? Assuming they don’t contact us first._

**_GingerAle_** _:...Or the morgue._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: OMG. WTF? YOU DON’T SAY THAT._

**_FN-2187_** _: Too far. Who invited Ginger Dracula to this chat anyways?_

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: Rose did. Because she’s banging him._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: We’re done having this conversation. We will reconvene tomorrow afternoon._

**_FN-2187_** _: May the Force be with you._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: ur such a dork._

**_GingerAle_** _: I hate that movie._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: GOODBYE._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: May the Force be with you._

**_FN-2187_** _: God, I love you._

* * *

She can do this. It’s not like she can’t do this. She’s done it so many times before that it’s almost like second nature. In fact, most times, she doesn’t even bother with the knocking part. She just waltzes in. 

Which, the last time she did that was two weeks ago to find Ben and Bazine on the couch that Rey helped him pick out, defiling it. And she shouldn’t have been angry, except, they had plans and they’re on _her_ side of his couch, so she let the door slam shut and took sick satisfaction in how they broke apart but the satisfaction didn’t last long because even though Rey thinks modesty is a bunch of bullshit, she also doesn’t want to see Bazine’s breasts, which are like _perfect_. 

_([She figures her double standards will feature heavily at her next therapy appointment - and news flash, it did.]_

_And so, Bazine looks at her, body glistening with sweat and arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. “We were in the middle of something.”_

_“Clearly.” Rey snaps at her. “But we-“ she gestures wildly at Ben and herself. “Have plans. So kindly, use your hand and fuck off somewhere else.”_

_Bazine rolls her eyes and starts pulling her clothes on and Rey can see Ben do the same and holy shit - she has to remember to stand up straight but obviously, in the time Rey doesn’t see Ben, he’s at the gym. Bazine looks at Ben when they’re both dressed. “You should do something about how clingy the desert rat is. It used to be sweet-“ and she says the word sweet in a way that Rey definitely knows she’s being sarcastic, “but now it’s just pathetic.”_

_It’s not something Rey hasn’t heard. Really it isn’t. It’s not new nor is it creative, but it still stings but it probably doesn’t sting as much as Ben standing there and saying fucking nothing. It’s not that she needs his help or defence because she’s a big girl and she can take care of herself but also, he always defends her, so it’s just expected. The last time he defended her was when Snap broke up with her because he fell in love with someone else and she couldn’t blame him because Kaydel is sweet as can be and she was never in love with Snap either but it definitely could have been handled better than during a group dinner at their favourite diner._

_[Spoiler alert: Ben punched Snap and told him that he would never be worth the ground Rey walked on and Rey almost jumped him then and there but Rose and Finn put their hands on her arms and it snapped her out of her stupor._

_Another spoiler alert: after much discussion on why she wasn’t truly upset that it was over but just another sad end to a relationship she apparently couldn’t keep, Ben apologized to Snap. In front of Kaydel. While Rey was behind him, poking him in the back to force him to continue through gritted teeth.]_

_Bazine left, with the door slamming behind and Rey rounded on Ben. “Thanks for the defence there, Benny.”_

_And well, the rest is well documented history. By documented, she three-way called Finn and Rose and sobbed out the whole story on the Uber ride home.)_

So, Rey is kind of hesitant to go inside and she almost leaves and messages Phasma to come do this instead but then she hears the familiar sounds of _Enya_ and Rey rolls her eyes and grabs the doorknob, turning it open. She rolls her eyes again and huffs, she doesn’t know how many times she tells him to lock his fucking door. 

“Ben?” She calls out. Following the music to his study. She knocks on the door loudly. “Ben. Come on Ben, open up. It’s me. Rey.” The music is cut off and she thinks that’s a positive sign but the door stays shut. “Finn called me and told me.” She takes in a deep breath. “Though I would have preferred to have heard it from you.” She drops her bag on the floor next to her and slides down against the door. “Ben.” She leans her head against the wood and sighs. “I missed you so much these past two weeks. I was miserable and all I wanted to do was talk to you but you were so angry and you had a right to be angry because I _am_ clingy and all that stuff but I just...I don’t want to lose you and it turns out that I did.” She can hear shuffling on the other side of the door and she sits up straighter. 

“You didn’t lose me.” She can hear and it’s muffled but the words are clear enough. 

She lets out a giddy relief-laden laugh. “That’s good to know. I’m relieved about that.” She sucks in another breath. “You didn’t call.”

“Neither did you.”

Rey scratches the back of her neck. “Yeah.” They’re silent for a couple of minutes before Rey shakes her head. “You know what? _Fuck this_. We are not going to sit here wallowing in our self pity. So the Bitch of Malibu - that’s Bazine by the way, in case you didn’t know - broke up with you. That’s her loss. She’s a fucking loser. You deserve better. And this week has sucked balls and relationships are dumb. So, let’s just...let’s go out. There’s that new place in the West End. Let’s go there and talk shit about exes and life. What do you say? We’ll go out and see where the night ends. We’ll have fun.”

There is total silence in his apartment and Rey is almost afraid that on the other side of the door he stopped breathing. A beat, two and then three pass when the door is pulled open and Rey stumbles, falling on her back where the door used to be. She opens her eyes and stares at Ben upside down and she can see a little half smirk on his lips and his dimples are barely showing but Rey has already burned them into her memory from so long ago. His eyes are dancing with restrained laughter and God, he’s just so _fucking beautiful_ , it fucking hurts to look at him sometimes. 

Her stomach flips and it feels like a million butterflies have erupted in her stomach. “Hi.” She breathes out. “I’ve missed you.”

And a smile, the one that knocks the breath out of her, stretches across his lips. He outstretches his arm and she grabs hold of his open hand as he helps her up and turns her around so she’s facing him. Her hands find purchase on his chest to keep her from toppling over and _yeah, she really likes his body_. Always has and knows she always will. “I’ve missed you too.” It’s soft but there and Rey can’t help but lean forward, head on his chest and arms wrapped around his waist. 

It takes him a moment but his arms are enveloping her back and it feels like she’s _home_. 

* * *

She’s pretty sure that she’s cackling at this point but she can’t bring herself to care. Instead, she’s chortling into her drink, groaning as a few more shots are placed on the table in front of them. Ben is gesturing wildly, talking loudly and retelling horror stories about his exes. 

In return, Rey tells her own stories interspersed with the fact that truthfully, it wasn’t _just_ them and she was often to blame for being…”I don’t know, unapproachable maybe?” She ponders. 

He shakes his head, downing another shot. “You are not unapproachable. You’re perfectly approachable.”

She laughs and smiles widely at him. She leans forward, spilling their drinks on the table and takes his cheeks in her hands. “You’re perfect.” She blurts out and she’s pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to say that but she’s so far beyond caring. All she wants to do is run her hands through his hand and run her hands over him, memorizing every dip and beauty mark.

Red tints his cheeks and the tips of his ears and she squeals because he’s just _so cute_ like this. But she lets go because despite everything, it’s an uncomfortable position. “I missed you.” She repeats from earlier. 

He nods. “I know. You said before.”

She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. Fuck. Is she doing this? Is she really going to do this _here and now_ ? Her brain tries to tell her to stop, that she literally just got him back not even two hours ago and she’s already going to fuck this up again but obviously, her mouth doesn’t listen to her brain and she just _spills_ . “No. I missed _you_. Like everything about _you_. I missed texting you and calling you. I missed hearing you laugh. I missed talking about HBO and I missed watching sports with you because you clearly have inferior teams like honestly, _who the fuck supports Arsenal_? I missed your smile and I missed your cooking, _definitely_ missed your cooking by the way, and I just...I missed being with you and feeling...I don’t know. _Safe_? At _home_? I didn’t...you know me. You know my past and everything and I just...it’s _you_. You’re my safe space and I thought for the longest time that was Finn and it is to a certain degree but it’s _you_.” She’s almost yelling now above the music and the loud noises but apparently she’s still heard by the tables close to them because they all but stop what they’re doing to stare at the two of them, mouths agape. But she doesn’t stop. Because of course she doesn’t. “And Bazine, she’s beautiful, yeah? I mean a bit of a bitch, I’m being nice by the way, she’s a big bitch, and she was just awful to all of us and the only reason she wasn’t awful to Phasma is because I’m pretty sure she’s terrified of Phasma but she’s beautiful and everything I’m not and I just...I felt like I was losing you and it’s so incredibly fucking selfish of me, I know. It’s all me and how _I_ feel and you’re the one who just got heartbroken but I just...you can do so much better. _You deserve better_.”

He leans closer to her, elbows in the puddles of alcohol that haven’t been wiped from the table and his eyes are intense, face flushed and they haven’t really had that much to drink but they did have tequila and God knows tequila sends them straight to the floor. “Who do I deserve Rey?”

She doesn’t answer, too busy trying to look everywhere but at him and everywhere but at the couple of tables who have fully decided to stop looking like they’re not eavesdropping and have just full on shifted themselves so they’re looking on like this is some boxing match. 

Which it’s _not_. It’s a _private_ conversation, albeit in a very _public_ place. 

Rey shrugs. “Better.” _Me_. She wants to cry out. _Me. Please, please, just look at me_. And fuck, when did she become this interested in romance? When did she become a walking romantic comedy? Probably the day she met Ben Solo, she thinks idly. 

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair, leaning closer into her. “I’m not heartbroken over Bazine. I knew it wouldn’t last. It was fun and she was...fuck...she’s definitely in a league of her own but I knew from the beginning that she was never going to be long-term. She just...she was there and she wanted more than friendship and I was lonely.”

“I was there!” Rey yells and _wow, they’re really gathering a crowd aren’t they?_ “I was _right in front of you_.”

“As a friend.” He says calmly. And how is he so calm when all she wants to do is crawl out of her skin and into his? And gross, that sounded way creepier than she thought it would be and thank God, she had some sort of self preservation to not say that aloud. 

She lets out a laugh and it’s bitter and hollow more than anything. “Fuck Ben. You’ve _never been just a friend_. I always...it’s _you_. It’s always been _you_. I just...I thought you wanted to be just friends.”

“Oh my god.” She hears to her right. “Holy shit. Is it happening? I am so invested right now.”

“Christ.” Rey snaps, turning her head side to side. “Who the fuck are you people? Voyeurs?”

“Currently,” A tall blonde girl who spoke earlier replies, “your biggest fans. I am so obsessed right now. It’s like a movie come to life.”

A burly guy with brown hair shrugs, phone in hand. “Honestly? I’m taking pointers on how not to fuck things up this badly in the future. Like, don’t you guys just fucking communicate or anything?”

The blonde from before slaps him over the head. “Clearly, they’ve had their signals crossed. They’re getting to the root of their problems now. I’m rooting for you, Rey!”

“ _How do you know my name_?”

A skinny guy with glasses and curly black hair shrugs, beer in his hand. “To be fair, he’s been yelling your name since the beginning of the night. Also, are you Kylo Ren? Because I love your books and would love for you to sign it.” He winces when the same blonde from before smacks him upside the head. “I mean, after everything gets sorted out.”

Rey goes to open her mouth, ready to just scream when she feels a hand over hers and she whips back around to look at Ben. “I never wanted to be friends with you.”

_Wow. Okay. That hurt_. And judging by the sounds the people around them make, they agree.

Ben shakes his head. “ _No_. That’s not...Fuck. Rey. You were never _just_ a friend to me. You’ve been…. _I feel it too._ I never...you don’t…. _you’re not alone._ ” He gets the words out of his mouth with some difficulty but from that all Rey can hear are his words. All she can see is him as everyone and everything else, drifts into the background. He lets go of her and stands up, tossing bills on the table and holds out his hand. “I would like to continue this privately, maybe back at my place? Will you come with me Rey?” His hand looks so inviting. So large and all encompassing. It’s a hand she’s dreamt of holding and sometimes has during horror movies or when she was overcome with fear and loneliness about her past. 

Without hesitation, she puts her hand in his and his smile, _fuck_ , his smile could light entire galaxies, she thinks and he pulls her up and closer to him, her free hand find purchase against his chest and he dips his head down, his lips ghosting over hers. “If it’s okay with you,” he starts, “I would really like to kiss you now.”

“Please.” She breathes. And then suddenly she can’t breathe because he has taken her breath in his and her knees tremble. Her entire soul shakes and everything just feels _right_ . It’s everything she’s ever wanted and everything she dreamed about. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer to her and she almost sobs when he clings to her just as tightly, tongue delving into her mouth and she _moans_ , honest to God _moans_ , unable to help herself. She pulls away when breathing becomes a necessity. “We should probably go back to your place.”

He nods, leaning his forehead against hers, smile still as wide. “Yeah. We probably should.” With her hand still in his, he places a chaste kiss on her forehead and pulls her out the door and into the balmy air. 

Not before she hears the tables around them erupt in applause and cheers. 

“ _What about my book?!_ ” She vaguely hears the yell before the door slams shut and all Rey can do is laugh. 

* * *

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: HOLY SHIT. LOOK AT PIC KAYDEL JUST SENT ME._

**_FN-2187_** _: IS THAT? OMG. NO. FUCKING WAY._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: JFC. Thank fuuuuuck._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: and you all doubted me._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: It wasn’t you we doubted. Honestly, with those two, it’s just hit or miss._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: Clearly, it’s a hit. Our boy Ben is hitting that._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _:...OMG. That was so bad. I feel horrible for saying that. Don’t show Rey._

**_FN-2187_** _: Oh, I am one hundred percent showing Rey and going to watch while she serves you your balls._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: But you...you love my balls._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Oh. My. God. This is horrible._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: I literally cannot believe I read that with my own eyes._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Well, we can pat ourselves on the shoulder. Mission accomplished._

**_GingerAle_** _: Question. Why are we even texting about this? We’re literally all in the same room…?_

**_FN-2187_** _: Christ. Seriously. Who invited you?_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: I did. Because I’m hitting that._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: OMG. I cannot believe I had to read that with my own eyes._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: Sucks to suck, huh?_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: DO NOT RESPOND TO THAT._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: For fuck’s sake. GOODBYE._

* * *

“You know” Rey says, taking the water from him gratefully, watching as he gets back into bed and snuggling deeper into her seated position. “We didn’t really talk much once when came back here.” She takes huge gulps of water until the glass is empty and hands him back the empty glass, watching as he puts it on the bureau next to his bed.

Ben blushes and shrugs. “We did not. Are you...are you okay? I didn’t...hurt you?”

Rey tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ears. “Nothing I didn’t want. I wasn’t even that drunk really, it’s just tequila always does things but I do remember all of it. Everything and honestly, wouldn’t mind an encore but I just...we’re done being friends, yeah?”

And she thinks in any other context, this would have been taken another way. In another context, like _two weeks ago_ , this would have been the end but it’s not in any other context other than this one. 

He grins, hand finding hers under the covers and Rey grips it for dear life, as if he’s the only one grounding her and for a split second, she honestly thinks he is. “Yeah, we’re done being friends. Girlfriend? Significant other? Partner?”

She lets out a laugh.”You.” She says, lifting her leg and straddling him and _fuck_ , the way he’s looking at her, like she hangs the sun and the moon and the stars, almost makes her cry because no one, _no one_ has ever looked at her with such reverence the way Ben Solo does. “You’re you, that’s all people ever need to know.” 

And as she leans down to catch his lips with hers, she thinks that’s all that really matters. Because this? Being in his arms? It feels safe. It feels like _home_. 

* * *

**_GingerAle_** _: I think this is by far the worst idea you lot ever had._

**_FN-2187_** _: You literally helped us though? So also, kind of yours._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: to be fair, babe. Finn is right. And also to be fair, Armie is also right._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: I suppose we did not think this through completely._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: Don’t they need to like breathe, every once in a while?_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: It’s kind of cute for the first two minutes but now it’s like...I dunno, borderlining porn…?_

**_GingerAle_** _: at least they’re not fighting. Or giving each other the silent treatment_

**_FN-2187_** _: No, instead, I always seem to catch them in the act. Like they cannot keep their clothes on and hands to themselves._

**_GingerAle_** _: A price to pay for young love, I assume._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: You’re the same age as Ben and we’ve been in love for longer so your toeing a fine line here, bud._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Oh look. They came up for air._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: Wait, is he signing a book for the kid with the curly locks? And who are the rest of the people congratulating them? I feel like we’re missing something._

**_GingerAle_** _: Maybe a conversation? Since we’re literally AT THE SAME TABLE._

**_FN-2187_** _: Rose, we need to talk about your boy._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: isn’t he so cute though?_

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: we also need to talk about your definition of cute._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: why are we even in the West End again?_

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: great and they’re back to kissing._

**_GingerAle_** _: Rose and I are leaving._

**_FN-2187_** _: I love my girl and I’m so happy she’s happy but I’m going to puke. So Poe and I are going too._

**_Captain Phasma_** _: I’ll split an Uber with you both._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: do you think we should tell them? Like won’t they worry?_

**_FN-2187_** _: LOL._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: HAHAHA._

**_GingerAle_** _: Laughable that they would even recognize anything other than each other’s tonsils._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: We’ll send a text in the group chat._

**_ReyofSunshine_** _: Don’t bother. You do know that you didn’t take us out of the chat in the first place right? Also, Poe. I’m literally going to hurt you so badly._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: FUCK. I AM SO SORRY._

**_IGoSolo_** _: What does my name even mean?_

**_ReyofSunshine_** _: Oh. You know._

**_FN-2187_** _: THAT IS DISGUSTING._

**_GingerAle_** _: I’m going to be sick._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: SO HAPPY FOR YOU. BUT ALSO TMI REY._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: on that note, we’re leaving. Goodbye._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Also, congratulations._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: Also, who was the idiot who said they weren’t on the chat?_

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: Poe._

**_GingerAle_** _: Poe._

**_FN-2187_** _: Poe._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: I’M SORRY OKAY? Also, where did they go?_

**_ReyofSunshine_** _: Already making out in the backseat of an Uber. Brunch tomorrow? Cantina at 11?_

**_FN-2187_** _: Sounds good._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: Same here._

**_GingerAle_** _: If I must._

**_FN-2187_** _: You really don’t have to._

**_ARoseByAnyOtherName_** _: FINN._

**_ReyofSunshine_** _: FINN._

**_FN-2187_** _: FINE._

**_FlyBoyPoe_** _: I’m game._

**_CaptainPhasma_** _: See you tomorrow._

**_BenSolo_** _: HAH! Managed to change my name. Sounds good to me._

**_FN-2187_** _: WAIT YOU CAN DO THAT?!_


End file.
